A movie industry trade group Tuesday sued nine online vendors it alleges are selling pirated films through auction sites such as eBay Inc.
Ebay was not named in the copyright infringement lawsuits filed against individuals across the country by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), which represents Hollywood's biggest studios.
"It is an unfortunate reality that consumers may be sorely disappointed, finding that the DVD or video that they paid for is not a bargain at all and that it is, in fact, of a much lower quality than what they expected," said Jack Valenti, president and chief executive officer of the MPAA.
In a news release, the MPAA provided safety tips for online shoppers by telling them to watch out for DVDs or videos that are "too cheap" or "new" to be true, or which have inferior accompanying art work. The MPAA also urged online shoppers to call its hotline at 1-800-NO-COPYS if they suspect pirated movies are being offered.
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